National Cholesterol Education Month raises awareness about high blood cholesterol, a serious condition that affects over 71 million Americans and increases the risk of developing heart disease. The Cholesterol Education Month observance is a chance to encourage people to get their blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. It is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help people reach personal cholesterol goals.
The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network is working to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over five years. Because high cholesterol does not have symptoms, many people do not know that their cholesterol is too high. Ask your doctor to do a simple blood test to check your cholesterol level. Now is a great time to learn more about cholesterol and the steps you can take to prevent high cholesterol.
Screening is the key to detecting high cholesterol. Encourage your partners, providers, stakeholders and staff to have their blood cholesterol levels checked. Using these numbers, they can estimate their 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease using the NHLBI’s online risk calculator. The tool is available at: http://cvdrisk.nhlbi.nih.gov/calculator.asp
The following resources can be shared with patients and staff:
- Be Heart Smart: Keep Your Cholesterol in Check (English and Filipino)
- High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
http://catalog.nhlbi.nih.gov/catalog/product/High-Blood-Cholesterol-What-You-Need-to-Know/05-3290
- Do You Know Your Cholesterol Levels?
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.pdf
- Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol_tlc.pdf
- Cholesterol Fact Sheet
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_cholesterol.htm
- Three Facts for Cholesterol Month
https://foodandhealth.com/3-facts-for-cholesterol-month/
You can print and use these informative posters in your offices and clinics:
- At-A-Glance: What You Need To Know About High Blood Cholesterol –
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/cholesterol_atglance.pdf
- Know the Facts About High Cholesterol
http://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/docs/ConsumerEd_Cholesterol.pdf
Additional Resources:
- American Heart Association’s YouTube video, “Health Tips to Control Cholesterol”. You can post the video on your website and on social media to spread the word about how to manage and control high cholesterol.
- Information about cardiovascular screenings that check cholesterol and lipid levels
http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/cardiovascular-disease-screenings.html
- Information about cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/cardiovascular-disease-behavioral-therapy.html
- American Heart Association (AHA) cholesterol resources:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/Cholesterol_UCM_001089_SubHomePage.jsp
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cholesterol resources: